Background: Infantile hereditary proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 is characterized by onset in the first 6 months of life and severe and progressive muscle weakness. Dysphagia is a common complication but has not been studied in detail. Objective: To study feeding and swallowing problems …

With an increasingly ageing population there will be a rising demand for palliative care, including from older migrants and ethnic minorities. While many (future) physicians are unfamiliar with specific needs of older migrants and ethnic minorities regarding care and communication in palliative care, …

Background:  A transitional care pathway (TCP) could improve care for older patients in the last months of life. However, barriers exist such as unidentified palliative care needs and suboptimal collaboration between care settings. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of a TCP, named …

Context: Inadequate handovers between hospital and home can lead to adverse health outcomes. A group particularly at risk is patients at the end of life because of complex health problems, frequent care transitions, and involvement of many professionals.  Objectives: To investigate health care providers' …

OBJECTIVE: Depression among older adults predicts mortality after acute hospitalization. Depression is highly heterogeneous in its presentation of symptoms, whereas individual symptoms may differ in predictive value. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of individual cognitive-affective depressive …

Background Family caregivers are crucial in end-of-life care. However, family caregiving may involve a significant burden with various negative health consequences. Although nurses are in a unique position to support family caregivers at home, little is known about which nursing interventions are effective …

Coping with chronic or terminal diseases is a factor of permanent psychological stress, leading to negative subsequent stress symptoms; reflexology is a complementary medicine, based on the principle that specific areas of the feet, hands, andears are related to corresponding parts of the body and intends …

Background: Increasing attention to palliative care for the general population has led to the development of various evidence-based or consensus-based tools and interventions. However, specific tools and interventions are needed for people with severe mental illness (SMI) who have a life-threatening …

Most people in The Netherlands have access to high quality palliative care—multidisciplinary total care aimed at patients’ quality of life when patients have limited life expectancies. All nurses and generalist physicians receive at least basic palliative care training. Nursing home staff is also well …